Small Group Discussion Guide

"The Heart of the Father: Going After the One"

Based on Luke 15 | Bootcamp: Training for Team Jesus Series

A Note to Facilitators: This guide is designed for 60–90 minutes. You know your group best — feel free to skip questions, linger where conversation is rich, or swap in questions that better fit your group's needs. Your job isn't to cover every question; it's to create space for genuine conversation and connection. The Holy Spirit is your co-facilitator. Trust Him.

OVERVIEW

In this message, Pastor Mike brought the parable of the Prodigal Son to life by retelling it from the father's perspective — helping us see not just two lost sons, but the heart of a God who pursues, waits, and celebrates when lost people come home. The sermon challenged us to examine our own hearts: Are we living like the rebellious younger son, the self-righteous older brother, or are we being shaped into people who carry the Father's heart? Ultimately, we were called to embrace our identity as "life-saving station" people — those who love others so genuinely and consistently that they ask why.

ICEBREAKER

(5–10 minutes)

Choose one of the following to open your time together:

Option A (Lighter):

"Think about a time you were genuinely lost — physically, like in a store, a city, or the woods — and someone helped you find your way. What was that experience like?"

Option B (A bit deeper):

"Pastor Mike described two very different sons — one impulsive and fun-loving, the other responsible and rule-following. Without naming which one you are, which son do you think people who know you best would say you're more like, and why?"

[Leader Tip: The icebreaker sets the tone for safety and openness. Laugh together, share briefly, and don't let this run too long. If people are slow to share, go first yourself.]

SCRIPTURE READING

(5 minutes)

Ask a volunteer to read the passage aloud, or read it together as a group.

Luke 15:1–2 (NLT) "Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people, even eating with them. So Jesus told them this story…"

Luke 15:11–24 (NLT) (The Younger Son) "A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, 'I want my share of your estate now before you die.' So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. A few days later, this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, 'At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant."'

So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.' But his father said to the servants, 'Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.' So the party began."

Luke 15:25–32 (NLT) (The Older Son) "Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 'Your brother is back,' he was told, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf. We're celebrating because of his safe return.'

The older brother was angry and wouldn't go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, 'All these years I've slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!'

His father said to him, 'Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day, for your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!'"

Brief Context Note for Facilitators:

Jesus told this parable directly in response to the Pharisees' complaint that He was spending time with "sinful people." The three parables in Luke 15 (the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son) are all Jesus' answer to the same question: Why does God care so much about people we've written off? The father in the story is widely understood as a picture of God's heart toward us.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

(30–45 minutes)

Work through as many questions as time allows. Questions are organized from lighter to deeper. Feel free to skip or reorder based on your group.

SECTION 1: What We Noticed

Opening Observations (5–8 minutes)

1. What was one moment from Sunday's message — a story, an image, or a phrase — that stuck with you or that you're still thinking about? Why did it land for you?

[Leader Tip: This is a great opener because there's no wrong answer. It also helps you quickly discover what resonated most with your group so you can lean into those themes. If the group is quiet, share your own answer first.]

2. Pastor Mike retold the parable from the father's point of view. How did hearing the story from that perspective change the way you saw it — if at all?

SECTION 2: The Two Sons — Where Do We See Ourselves?

Exploring the Parable (10–15 minutes)

3. The younger son "came to his senses" in the pigpen before he came home. Pastor Mike said we don't have to wait until we hit rock bottom to turn toward God. What do you think it takes for a person to "come to their senses" — what makes someone finally turn around?

[Leader Tip: This question can get personal quickly — some group members may have their own "pigpen" story. Create space for that without pressuring anyone. If someone shares vulnerably, thank them and affirm their courage before moving on.]

Follow-up if discussion stalls: "What do you think kept the younger son from turning around sooner?"

4. The older son had stayed home, worked hard, and followed the rules — but his heart had grown cold and resentful. Pastor Mike said he had "stopped hearing the music." What do you think causes someone who has been in church or following God for a long time to drift into that kind of joyless, judgmental place?

5. Pastor Mike said, "I've been both sons." Most of us can relate to that. Without putting anyone on the spot, which son's tendencies do you find yourself more prone to at this season of your life — and what does that look like practically for you?

[Leader Tip: This is one of the most important questions in the guide. Give people permission to be honest. Remind the group that the goal isn't to fix each other — it's to see ourselves clearly so God can work in us. Normalize that many of us move between both sons at different seasons.]

SECTION 3: The Father's Heart

Understanding God's Posture Toward Us (8–10 minutes)

6. The father in the story saw his son "while he was still a long way off" — which means he had been watching and waiting. What does that image tell us about how God sees and responds to people who are far from Him?

Follow-up: "How does that image of a watching, waiting, running father compare to how you naturally picture God?"

7. Pastor Mike said, "Love really isn't love without the freedom to choose." The father let his son go, even knowing the pain it would cause. What does it mean to you that God gives us genuine freedom — and what does that say about the kind of love He has for us?

SECTION 4: Called to Go After the One

Our Role as People with the Father's Heart (10–12 minutes)

8. Pastor Mike described several different ways people "go after the one" — the bold intellectual, the extrovert who strikes up conversations, the person who shares their testimony, the prayer warrior, the quiet servant like Danny the roofer. Which of those styles resonates most with how you're wired? What does going after the one look like for you specifically?

[Leader Tip: This question is meant to be freeing, not guilt-inducing. The point is that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to reaching people — everyone has a role. Celebrate the diversity of gifts in your group.]

9. Pastor Mike quoted 1 Peter 3:15, which says to always be ready to give a reason for your hope — "but do this with gentleness and respect." He also shared the idea of "loving people until they ask why." What's the difference between sharing our faith with gentleness and just being silent or passive? Where's that line for you?

10. Think about someone in your life who is far from God right now — your "one." Without sharing their name if you'd prefer not to, what's one thing that makes it hard to stay engaged with them or to point them toward Jesus?

[Leader Tip: This question moves toward the prayer section naturally. You may want to invite people to keep this person in mind as you close in prayer. Be sensitive — some people may be grieving a prodigal they love deeply.]

PERSONAL APPLICATION

(10–15 minutes)

These questions are for individual reflection. You can share with the group or keep them personal — both are fine.

1. If you're honest, is your heart currently more like the younger son (running from God or living for yourself), the older son (going through the motions but feeling resentful or superior), or the father (pursuing others with grace and love)? What's one thing that brought you to that place?

2. Pastor Mike said, "I never want my heart to grow cold and entitled and judgmental and superior and arrogant and ungrateful like the older brother — because when I do, I stop caring about the one." Is there a person or a group of people you've mentally written off or found it hard to care about? What would it look like to see them through the Father's eyes?

3. The life-saving station motto was: "Although we may not come back, we will always go out." What's one relationship, one conversation, or one act of service that God might be nudging you toward — even if it feels uncomfortable or costly?

4. Ricky, the mechanic in Pastor Mike's story, spent the last year of his life handing out Scripture bracelets to everyone he met and saying, "I just want to do the Lord's work." What would it look like for you to have that kind of simple, wholehearted urgency about the people around you?

✅ THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

Choose one (or more) of the following before your group meets again:

• 🙏 Pray daily for your "one" — the person closest to you who is farthest from God. Write their name somewhere you'll see it.
• 💬 Have one real conversation with someone outside your usual faith circle — a neighbor, coworker, or family member. Listen more than you talk.
• ✉️ Send a note or message to someone you've been meaning to reconnect with. It doesn't have to be a "spiritual" conversation — just show up.
• 🤝 Invite someone to church, your small group, or a church event. Make it personal — offer to meet them, sit with them, or pick them up.
• 📖 Read Luke 15 again on your own this week, slowly. Ask God: "Which character am I right now? What do you want to say to me through this story?"

PRAYER FOCUS

(5–10 minutes)

Close your time together in prayer. Here are suggested prayer themes — feel free to use one, all, or let the group guide the direction:

• Gratitude — Thank God for the grace He extended to each of us when we were far from Him. Take a moment to remember your own "coming home" story.

• The Prodigals — Pray by name (silently or aloud) for the "one" in each person's life who is far from God. Ask the Father who runs toward His children to pursue them.

• Our Own Hearts — Ask God to search your heart for any traces of the older brother — resentment, entitlement, judgment — and to replace them with His compassion.

• Courage to Go — Pray for boldness, gentleness, and creativity in the ways your group members reach out to people around them this week.

• Your Group — Ask God to make your small group itself a "life-saving station" — a place where people who are far from God feel welcomed, loved, and pointed home.

Suggested closing prayer (facilitators can read this or pray in their own words): "Father, thank you that while we were still a long way off, you ran toward us. Thank you for grace we didn't earn and a welcome we didn't deserve. Give us hearts that look like yours — hearts that watch for the lost, run toward the broken, and celebrate every time someone comes home. Show us our 'one' this week. Give us the courage to go. In Jesus' name, amen."

OPTIONAL DEEP DIVE

For groups with extra time or who want to go further (10–15 additional minutes)

Bonus Question 1:

Read 2 Corinthians 5:17–20 (NLT) together: "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us."

The word "ambassador" means an official representative sent on behalf of another. What does it mean in practice to be God's ambassador — not just in what you say, but in how you live, work, and treat people? What would change if you genuinely saw yourself that way?

Bonus Question 2:

Pastor Mike shared a quote: "We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it." In today's cultural climate — where faith, politics, and values are often deeply divisive — what does it look like to be that kind of light without compromising truth? Where do you find that balance hardest to strike?

Bonus Question 3:

The parable in Luke 15 ends without resolution — we never find out if the older brother goes into the party. Why do you think Jesus ended the story that way? What might He be saying to the Pharisees — and to us — by leaving it open?

[Leader Tip: This last question is rich for theologically curious groups. The open ending is likely intentional — Jesus is inviting the Pharisees (and us) to write our own ending. Will we go in, or stay outside?]

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION

For groups or individuals who want to keep digging during the week:

FACILITATOR QUICK REFERENCE

If your group runs short on time: Prioritize Questions 3, 5, 8, and 10 from the Discussion section, plus at least one Personal Application question. These four questions carry the heart of the sermon.

If your group has extra time: Use the Optional Deep Dive questions or spend more time in the Prayer Focus section praying specifically for each person's "one."

If your group is quieter than expected: Try breaking into pairs for Questions 5 and 10 before sharing with the full group. Smaller conversations often unlock deeper sharing.

This guide was prepared for Lake Pointe Church Small Groups based on the message "The Heart of the Father" from the Bootcamp: Training for Team Jesus series. Luke 15 quotations from the New Living Translation (NLT).